The line of people stretched from Seireitei's East Gate all the way to distant Rukongai. There were still eight queues, and at a glance, there had to be at least two or three thousand people.
"Th-this..." Yamabuki Chidori had never expected the registration scene to be this packed.
Yamamoto also had a headache over this sort of clerical work. Seeing Yamabuki Chidori return, he directly used Flash Step to drag him to the desk.
"Wait... Captain Commander, I brought back a talented person for you!" Yamabuki Chidori hurriedly recommended Gen'en Kinra.
Yamamoto and Gen'en Kinra locked eyes, their Reiatsu clashing briefly. The fearless look in Gen'en Kinra's eyes finally showed a trace of shock!
The Reiatsu of the middle-aged man before him was vast as the sea, far beyond anything he could shake. So this was the Captain Commander of the Gotei 13? Interesting!
Yamamoto did not make an exception just because of Gen'en Kinra's ability. He merely said, "Go line up."
Gen'en Kinra showed no dissatisfaction and obediently went to the back of the line.
As for why he was being so obedient...
He couldn't beat him. Couldn't beat him!
"Captain Commander, what method are we using to select recruits? You still haven't told me!" Yamabuki Chidori had only just sat down when the people in line began urging them on.
Team Member Selection
Yamamoto said, "Do you know about the twenty ranks of Spiritual Power?"
Yamabuki Chidori nodded. "I do."
A Soul Reaper's Spiritual Power was divided into twenty ranks. Rank twenty, the lowest, was the level of an ordinary member. Lieutenants were at ranks four to five, while anyone above rank three was a Captain.
Yamabuki Chidori saw a device on the table specifically meant to test Spiritual Power. He placed his hand on it to try it out, and it registered rank four. It was quite accurate; his Reiatsu really was at Lieutenant level now.
"Captain, have you tested yours? Is it rank one?" Yamabuki Chidori asked.
Yamamoto shook his head. "No. I'm afraid I'd blow up the machine. It was expensive."
"...Fair enough."
"Anyone whose Spiritual Power does not meet the standard is eliminated directly. No one gets special treatment. Those between ranks fifteen and twenty will be sent to Genryūsai to study. Remember to clearly record whether they are nobles or commoners. If they are nobles, we charge them a hefty fee. If they are commoners, they can study for free," Yamamoto said.
This was a good method. Who had come up with it?
Yamabuki Chidori praised it repeatedly.
Then Yamamoto looked at him as though he were an idiot. "Wasn't this the plan you came up with yourself after getting drunk last night?"
Huh???
Had he blacked out?
Forget it. If he wanted a pleasant retirement, he had to start working now!
It was an incredibly tedious job. One Soul Reaper after another came forward to be tested. Those with poor results were eliminated immediately, and they also had to be sorted into nobles and commoners. After working from dawn until deep into the night, they had completed less than a tenth of the workload. Looking at the endless line ahead, Yamabuki Chidori let out a miserable wail!
I want to retire!!!
I want to fish and grow flowers!
I want to live a carefree life!
I don't want to work like this, 007 style.
But the Gotei 13 had far too few people they could use right now, especially for clerical work. There was only him; they could not even find a second person!
"No. We have to recruit more. We have to bring in more people!" Yamabuki Chidori made up his mind. Being able to fight was important, but managing logistics, internal affairs, and all kinds of clerical work was equally indispensable.
Yamabuki Chidori could not turn the Gotei 13 into some actual murderers' organization! This was a regular army.
"Haah!!!" Yamabuki Chidori yawned and stretched, his bones crackling all over.
"Next," Yamabuki Chidori said listlessly.
"Name!"
"Hachisato."
"Hm? It's you, the one from the Shihōin Clan!" Yamabuki Chidori realized that the person standing before him was an acquaintance. "Come test your Spiritual Power."
Hachisato excitedly placed his hand on the tester, and a number popped up.
"Rank nine."
Hm? Not bad!
Yamabuki Chidori was somewhat surprised. This was considered a fairly good result. Most nobles had higher Reiatsu than commoners, but the vast majority of nobles were only around ranks seventeen or eighteen, which was barely passing. Those above rank fifteen who could directly join the Gotei 13 were few and far between. Out of these several thousand people, they might not even select a hundred.
Those who could reach rank ten or above were even rarer.
The sudden appearance of someone with rank nine Spiritual Power immediately perked Yamabuki Chidori up.
"Fill out the registration..." Yamabuki Chidori suddenly realized a problem. Should a noble's servant count as a noble or a commoner?
He had originally wanted to ask Yamamoto, but on second thought, even if he asked, the Captain Commander would just throw the question back at him.
Forget it, he would decide for himself!
"Do you have a noble title? If not, I can only register you as being of commoner origin. After joining the Gotei 13, you will automatically receive the status of a Low-Ranking Noble," Yamabuki Chidori asked.
"No, sir. An assassin like me... is not worthy of noble status..." Hachisato said softly.
Assassins were indispensable in Seireitei. They often handled dirty work for their masters, but their status was also extremely low. They could never obtain noble status in their entire lives, not even as a mere Low-Ranking Noble.
"From today onward, you have it. According to the rules, every official member who joins the Gotei 13 receives a Low-Ranking Noble seat. Your strength already qualifies. For now, I'll assign you under Captain Shihōin. Just go back and tell him directly," Yamabuki Chidori said.
Hachisato clenched his fists excitedly.
As long as he possessed a noble seat, even if it was only that of a Low-Ranking Noble, he would be able to stand in the sunlight from now on!
"Thank you, sir! Thank you, sir!"
"Alright, don't waste my time. Next," Yamabuki Chidori said.
"Name!"
"Gen'en Kinra."
Yamabuki Chidori saw Gen'en Kinra step up, but he still wore an impersonal expression. After all, so many people were watching. It would not do to openly give someone special treatment!
"Spiritual Power test!"
Gen'en Kinra placed his hand on the device, and a number burst forth from it!
Rank three!
The people waiting in line around them were completely dumbfounded.
Where had this old man come from? He was ridiculously strong!
According to the Gotei 13's rules, rank three Spiritual Power already qualified one to run for Captain.
Ever since the Gotei 13 had openly defied Central 46, everyone knew just how valuable the position of Captain was!
According to the nobles' propaganda, the authority of a Gotei 13 Captain even surpassed that of a Sage in Central 46.
With such a dark horse suddenly appearing, many nobles fixed their eyes on Gen'en Kinra.
"Commoner origin, rank three Spiritual Power. Next!"
Gen'en Kinra took his proof of enlistment and prepared to find somewhere to rest. However, while the Gotei 13's land had been approved, the Barracks had not been built at all. It was just an empty lot!
The nobles all went home to sleep, while the commoners could only find somewhere to make do for the time being.
Yamabuki Chidori quietly said to Gen'en Kinra, "Go further inside. I have a room in there, so rest there tonight! Chōjirō, take this old man there!"
Sashō Chōjirō led Gen'en Kinra back to the room to rest, while Yamabuki Chidori had already prepared himself to stay up all night.
"Everyone! You don't mind if I cut in, right?" Tsunayashiro Fūka said to the people at the front of the line with a smile.
The commoners did not know who he was, and many started cursing at him, but not a single noble dared make a sound.
Yamabuki Chidori's face darkened. "Please line up in an orderly manner. Do not cut in line."
Tsunayashiro Fūka said to a Middle-Ranking Noble who was about to have his Spiritual Power tested, "Give me your spot. You have a daughter, don't you? Send her to my estate later to be my concubine. Are you willing?"
The moment the Middle-Ranking Noble heard that he could establish ties with the Tsunayashiro Clan, one of the Five Noble Clans, he grinned from ear to ear. He obediently gave up his place, then went home to fetch his daughter.
Holy shit! You could do that?
Yamabuki Chidori stared in utter disbelief.
"Chief Strategist, don't waste time. Help me test my Spiritual Power!" Tsunayashiro Fūka said with a smile.
The exchange of places had been mutually agreed upon, so Yamabuki Chidori could not say much. He could only continue his work.
This Is Going Too Far, This Is Going Too Far!
Looking at Tsunayashiro Fūka's smug expression, Yamabuki Chidori truly wanted to walk up and punch him hard. But seeing so many people still lined up behind him, he let it go. For work's sake, he would endure it.
"Name!" Yamabuki Chidori asked coldly.
"Chief Strategist, no need to be so rigid! There are still so many people waiting behind us!" Tsunayashiro Fūka said cheerfully. "Let's just test my Spiritual Power directly!"
Tsunayashiro Fūka placed his hand on the device, and it quickly gave him a rank: five.
Tsunayashiro Fūka was extremely pleased with himself. He had sent people to secretly observe the ranks of the Soul Reapers applying to join the Gotei 13, and the conclusion was that most were unqualified. Only a small number could pass the Spiritual Power test, and even then, few could join directly. Most had to enter Genryūsai for training.
There were almost no people like him whose Spiritual Power directly reached rank five. Although the Gotei 13's rules stated that one needed Spiritual Power above rank three to become a Captain, where were they supposed to find so many experts? He had heard that a rank three had appeared earlier? No matter. Including the newcomer, the Gotei 13 only had four Captain-level powerhouses. When the time came, they would have to pick the best of a bad bunch. The Captain's position would definitely fall to him.
It could not be helped. With strength came confidence.
After working for four days and three nights straight, Yamabuki Chidori looked like a panda. He was utterly exhausted, completely drained, and had finally finished testing the last Soul Reaper.
Those bastards! Couldn't they have come to relieve me? Letting me sleep for a while would have been enough! What kind of heartless workplace was this? Working eighty hours straight without rest—even capitalists would weep at the sight. When Yamabuki Chidori stood up, he felt as though the blood in his body had stopped flowing, while every bone in his body creaked.
Perhaps because of his constitution, his Reiatsu had actually increased a little more.
After four days of grueling battle, they had selected 151 official members and 314 students. These students had to undergo systematic training before they could be deployed to the battlefield.
Back in his room, Yamabuki Chidori collapsed onto his bed and fell asleep. This was not the life he wanted! He clearly wanted to slack off and coast through life, so why did he have to work so hard?
In his dreams, he dreamed of a flat, broad fish, and happily fished in the open!
However, while he slept, something major happened in Central 46.
A Central 46 staff member came before these Great Sages.
"Elders, something terrible has happened!" the staff member said in a trembling voice.
The Great Sage said calmly, "Look at you, what kind of state is that? You should remain calm even if the heavens collapse and the earth splits. Did the Gotei 13 cause some more trouble?"
The staff member shook his head. "This has nothing to do with the Gotei 13. Do you remember the order issued before? To search Rukongai for a powerhouse capable of rivaling Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto! We may have found one!"
The old men were so excited by the news that they nearly jumped up. Wonderful! Being suppressed by others felt awful!
"However, the people we sent were all killed!" the staff member added.
The Great Sage's heart tightened. "All killed? What happened? I remember there was an expert in the Guard whose Spiritual Power had reached rank five!"
The staff member said tremblingly, "You mean the Younger Brother of the head of Kasumi Continent. He was killed by the other party with a single slash! The scene was extremely gruesome! Also, everyone who went with him was slaughtered. The other party is an outright murderous maniac!"
The Great Sage's expression darkened. "Didn't you tell them we were from Central 46?"
"We did!"
"And they still dared to kill our people? Don't they know that means becoming enemies with the entire Soul Society?"
"After hearing that, she killed them even more happily! She also said... that you should wash your necks clean. She'll be here soon!" the staff member said.
"..."
Had Central 46 become so lacking in prestige these days? Could anyone bully them now?
"Didn't that vicious murderer say what her name was?" the Great Sage asked nervously. If a powerhouse capable of rivaling Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto truly stormed into Central 46, it would be the end of the world.
"That woman called herself..."
"A woman?" The Great Sage froze. Such a peerless powerhouse was actually a woman?
"She called herself... Unohana Yachiru!"
Before you continue